AUTHORS

Ryan Holeywell -- Staff Writer. Ryan covers the federal government, municipal distress and transportation issues. His favorite piece for the magazine took him to the oil fields of North Dakota to explore the effect that rapid population growth is having on the state’s infrastructure. Holeywell’s previous work has been published by the Washington Post and USA Today, and he has appeared on CNN and public radio to discuss his articles.

In the 1980s, San Francisco faced a court order similar to the one the state is facing now to reduce overcrowding. Rather than simply throwing the book at people, the city now often treats jail as a last resort and focuses on reintegrating ex-offenders back into society.

At a press conference Thursday, the New Jersey governor said he was misled when he asked his staff about the closure of bridge lanes -- which some speculate was political payback for a mayor's decision not to endorse Christie for re-election.

The rapid proliferation of smartphones and tablets has led an increasing number of schools to allow students to bring their own devices into the classroom, leaving administrators with the big job of re-evaluating security and privacy policies and updating networks.

Even though Walmart threatened to pull the plug on plans for D.C. stores if the City Council passed a bill to force it to pay more than the minimum wage, they passed it anyway. Labor advocates are hoping more cities will follow.

Hoping it will push U.S. lawmakers to develop a long-term transportation funding plan, infrastructure advocates developed a smartphone app that allows users to complain to members of Congress about their travel troubles.

Though advocates hoped the long-fought-for legislation would finally pass this year, the IRS scandal and the immigration bill have pushed it to the back burner and it continues to face an uphill battle.

Transportation stakeholders have become increasingly vocal in recent years over the disconnect between the president's lofty rhetoric about the need to invest and his lack of serious policy proposals on the matter.

The four-lane bridge north of Seattle that collapsed and send several cars into the Skagit River Friday was rated by the Federal Highway Administration as "functionally obsolete" and was in far better shape than many bridges around the country.

In an effort to reduce HIV rates that were approaching development-world levels, a government-run facility in the Canadian city welcomes people to use illegal substances under the supervision of medical professionals.

Once a relative novelty, communal living facilities continue to increase in popularity -- and they could become a key part of the way developers and cities accommodate an aging population. View our series on aging here.

Social impact bonds are a relatively new financial instrument that promises to earn returns for investors while giving state and local governments the upfront capital they need to pursue money-saving programs.

Prosecutors in the Cameron County, Texas, District Attorney's Office will start examining potential jurors' Facebook profiles during the selection process to get a better picture of who may be deciding the outcome of trials.

Incoming governors in two states pledged they wouldn't move forward on implementing President Obama's high-speed rail efforts in their states. So the federal government is distributing their funds elsewhere.